Overview

Make Believe is a light-hearted love story, set in the cynical, cutthroat world of Hollywood. Dustin Prewitt is a handsome screenwriter with a taste for women, money, big houses, and hot cars. His life is turned upside-down when Laura Keene, his beautiful but crazy movie star wife, disappears, leaving a suicide note on the beach that says she's drowned herself because he wouldn't dance with her. But Dustin's not exactly broken-hearted, because Laura comes from one of the richest families in America, which means if she's actually dead he's about to come into an enormous amount of money. Life gets even better for Dustin when he meets Penny Ruemmler, who rescues animals and works in a clothing store. Penny's not the glamorous type Dustin usually goes for, but that doesn't stop him from falling hard for her . But is Laura really dead? They never recovered her body. If she comes back, would Dustin dump the penniless Penny to get back with his rich wife? Or would he give everything up for love? WARNING: This book should be bought only by those who believe in romance, stardust, luck, second chances, and make-believe.

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Reviews

Set in the bright lights of Hollywood, Epperson's Make Believe centers on high-rolling screenwriter Dustin Prewitt and a series of events that challenge his cynicism. Dustin is married to the erratic Laura Keene, an actress experiencing a fall from fame and who has a pattern of cheating on her husband. After she discovers his own liaison with a Polish actress about to reach her own zenith of stardom, Laura goes off the deep end, disappearing into the sea and presumed drowned, leaving a note directly blaming Dustin for her death. In the aftermath, Prewitt evaluates what his life has come to in the volatile world of celebrity and wealth, asking what he actually wants from himself. Does it include the selfless pet lover Penny? Making Make Believe stand out from others in the awakening-from-cynicism genre is its light touch and the convincing internal thoughts of its protagonist, which proves almost meta in their analysis of his own life, as this storyteller proves an engaging stand-in for readers as cynical or well-read (take your pick) when it comes to stories of romance or thoughts about how life imitates art imitates life. Prewitt's telling boasts crisp, engaging dialogue, insider Hollywood detail ('It's always an ominous moment for your script when someone says he has some notes'), and a story that finds him building toward change--maybe even happiness. The stakes get gradually higher through each section, culminating with an epiphany: maybe sometimes happy endings aren't just for rom-coms, and sappiness and cynicism are both just states of mind. Readers of upbeat commercial fiction who believe the same--and are tired of formula--will find a protagonist to root for and a story to savor. Takeaway: This accomplished, upbeat novel finds a screenwriter facing his cynicism and maybe feeling his way toward love and happiness. --BookLife Reviews, Editor's Pick

Set in the bright lights of Hollywood, Epperson's Make Believe centers on high-rolling screenwriter Dustin Prewitt and a series of events that challenge his cynicism. Dustin is married to the erratic Laura Keene, an actress experiencing a fall from fame and who has a pattern of cheating on her husband. After she discovers his own liaison with a Polish actress about to reach her own zenith of stardom, Laura goes off the deep end, disappearing into the sea and presumed drowned, leaving a note directly blaming Dustin for her death. In the aftermath, Prewitt evaluates what his life has come to in the volatile world of celebrity and wealth, asking what he actually wants from himself. Does it include the selfless pet lover Penny? Making Make Believe stand out from others in the awakening-from-cynicism genre is its light tough and the convincing internal thoughts of its protagonist, which proves almost meta in their analysis of his own life, as this storyteller proves an engaging stand-in for readers as cynical or well-read (take your pick) when it comes to stories of romance or thoughts about how life imitates art imitates life. Prewitt's telling boasts crisp, engaging dialogue, insider Hollywood detail ('It's always an ominous moment for your script when someone says he has some notes'), and a story that finds him building toward change--maybe even happiness. The stakes get gradually higher through each section, culminating with an epiphany: maybe sometimes happy endings aren't just for rom-coms, and sappiness and cynicism are both just states of mind. Readers of upbeat commercial fiction who believe the same--and are tired of formula--will find a protagonist to root for and a story to savor. Takeaway: This accomplished, upbeat novel finds a screenwriter facing his cynicism and maybe feeling his way toward love and happiness. --BookLife Reviews, Editor's Pick

Author Information

Tom Epperson, a native of Arkansas, headed west with his boyhood friend Billy Bob Thornton to pursue a career in show business. Epperson's co-written the scripts for One False Move, A Family Thing, The Gift, A Gun, a Car, a Blonde, and Jayne Mansfield's Car. His L.A. noir The Kind One was nominated for both the Edgar Award and the Barry Award for Best First Novel. Two more books followed, Sailor and Roberto to the Dark Tower Came. His fourth novel, Make Believe, will be published in the spring of 2022. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Stefani, three pampered cats, and a frisky dog.

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